Trent Alexander-Arnold handed bitter England reality as Maguire raises theory

It marked the latest exclusion for the former Liverpool defender as he continues to be overlooked. The 27-year-old has earned 34 caps for the Three Lions, but his most recent and sole appearance under the ex-Bayern Munich manager came in a 1-0 victory over Andorra in June 2025.

Fitness issues have limited Alexander-Arnold's availability for England but he overcame them and returned to the Real Madrid squad for the second half of the campaign to press his case for a place on the plane to North America.

However, Tuchel has faced questions over the decision to exclude the Champions League and Premier League-winner, as many believe he is one of England's most talented creative outlets.

Chalobah, primarily a central defender, comes in to replace the Newcastle full-back. Maguire, who was also omitted from the England squad, suggested that the Chelsea defender's inclusion was a move to avoid generating unwanted drama on the eve of their group opener.

Maguire acknowledged that high-profile England selections can cause disruption around preparations, but the Manchester United defender didn't allude to any friction between Alexander-Arnold or Tuchel, nor does the 28-year-old have that effect on the squad.

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Speaking on the Rest is Football, he said: "When someone drops out like that, I do believe (with) the squad, you want to call up somebody with a minimum of fuss, no real media attention or disruption to the camp.

"So I do believe when someone did get injured, I don't think Trent would've ever been called up because the questions and everything will be about him, if it's a big game, it's about Croatia.

"If he called me up, it (the questions) would be about me, Luke Shaw the same, we've been to tournaments and play for big clubs, that's what you want when you bring someone up on standby. Congratulations to Trevoh, I hope he has an impact on the squad."

With the tournament barely a week old, England finally kick off their campaign against Croatia in a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final. Following the Three Lions' defeats in each of their last two European Championship finals, attentions turn to whether Tuchel can lead England to an achievement that has eluded them for 60 years.

The 52-year-old has, however, faced considerable scrutiny over his squad selection, with several high-profile players notably absent, including Alexander-Arnold and Maguire.

He said: "We called Trevoh Chalobah because then we free up Jarell Quansah as full-back on both sides and Djed Spence can play both sides as full-back, so Trevoh comes as a centre back alternative and gives us full coverage in the back four."

Tuchel previously insisted that the decision to leave out the former Liverpool defender was purely sporting, though claims of a personal grudge continue to linger. He said: "We had a call. I tried to explain the situation but Trent just has to accept it.

"I know that it creates noise when you leave a player like Trent out. It's a sportive choice and a difficult choice. Maybe it's unfair to a certain degree but these choices have to be made."

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